Locomotive tender



F. HOGG Oct. 27, 1936.

LOCOMOTIVE TENDER Filed April 10, 1935 h 7130 Wax r INVENTOR Fflanc/s H09 BY ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application April 10, 1935, Serial No. 15,566

11 Claims.

This invention relates to locomotive tenders equipped with mechanism for moving the coal from the coal bin to the front end of the tender, placing it Within convenient reach of the fireman for manual delivery to the locomotive firebox.

Accordingly, the principal object of the invention is the provision of improved and simplified mechanism of the character described.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a conveying and crushing mechanism for moving the coal to the front of the tender.

A further object of the invention is to provide a conveyor beneath the floor of the coal bin arranged to receive coal from the bin and deliver it to a shoveling floor at the front of the tender. Still another object contemplates providing a crusher in the conveyor to break down the large lumps of coal to a size suitable for firing.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a conveying and crushing apparatus positioned beneath the coal bin and arranged to receive the coal and to deliver it upwardly through the fioor of the tender at the front end thereof forward ofthe coal gate.

More specific objects of the invention reside in the relation between the conveying and crushing apparatus and the slide plates in the floor of the coal bin and generally in the combinations and relations of parts hereinafter described and as illustrated in the drawing, in which,

Fig. l is a longitudinal central vertical sectional view through the improved locomotive tender of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the structure of Fig. '1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

On the drawing, the locomotive tender is represented as a Whole at H]. It includes the underframe II, and superstructure comprising the coal bin l2 and a water compartment I3. A deck or shoveling floor I4 at the front end of the tender between the bulkheads l5, l6 extends rearwardly into the coal bin to form the floor thereof centrally apertured at l8 to receive the slide appear.

When filled with coal the front of the coal bin is closed by the coal gate 2|] carried by and extending between the bulkheads l5, l6 at a' point rearward of the extremefront' end of the tender .to in effect form analcov 2! between the bulkheads above the floor or deck l4. That portion of the floor l4 forward of the coal gate serves as a shoveling platform and is within convenient reach of the fireman from his position on the locomotive.

A conveyor indicated as a whole at 22 is mounted beneath the floor l4 to receive coal from the bin l0 and is operable as now to be described, to maintain a supply of coal on the shoveling platform. The conveyor 22 is composed of the trough or rearward conduit section 23, the elbow or forward conduit section 24 and the screw conveyor 25. Preferably the conveyor 22 is mounted in a forwardly opening water-tight compartment 26 formed centrally and longitudinally of the tender beneath the floor M. The trough section 23 opens upwardly throughout its length in communication with the aperture l8 of the floor l4 and the juncture of the trough and the elbow is disposed forward of the coal gate 20. Flanges 21 extending laterally from the upper ends of the side walls of the trough lie underneath the floor M at the sides of the opening l8. The bolts 28 secure the trough through the flanges 21 to the floor l4. Filler blocks 29 placed between the floor and the flanges form the oppositely disposed grooves 30 which loosely receive the slide plates 19.

The elbow 24 extends forwardly and upwardly from the front of the trough 23 and opens upwardly in the plane of the aperture l8 in that part of the floor l4 forward of the coal gate 20 and preferably within the alcove 2|. A wall 3| at the rearward end of the elbow extends transversely of the trough 23 forming in effect a front wall thereof having a circular opening 32 to receive the forward end portion of the screw conveyor 25 and to form the intake opening of the elbow. The latter gradually changes in shape from the circular intake opening to a rectangular discharge outlet 33 as wide as the aperture I8 of the tender fioor. Bolts 34 passing between 'the vertical transverse wall 3| of the elbow and the flange 35 of the'trough secure the elbow to the trough in proper relation with the screw conveyor 25, and the horizontal wall 36 extending laterally from the upper end of the elbow and embracing the discharge outlet 33 is apertured to receive the bolts 31 securing the elbow to the floor M. The horizontal wall 36 extends across the aperture l8 of the floor in the plane of the trough flanges 21, thus providing for the grooves to receive the slide plates.

A crusher 40 positioned in the trough 23 over the screw conveyor 25 is detachably secured by the bolts or studs 4| on the transverse wall 3|. Rotary motion of the screw will force the lump coal against the crusher 40 breaking down the larger lumps to a suitable size for firing before they are delivered to the shoveling platform.

Rotary motion is imparted to the screw conveyor from the reversible driving .motor through gearing comprising the pinion 46 on the power shaft 4'! of the motor and the gear 48 fixed on one end of a screw shaft 49 the other end of which is square and projects into the rearward end of the screw conveyor 25. intermediate its ends in the bearing50 andthe screw conveyor is held onthe square .end of the shaft by the bolt 5|. A housing 52 encloses the I.

gearing and is carried in any suitable manner at the rearward end of the trough. Accessmaybe had to the driving motor and the gear housing through the lateral extension of the compart- 'ment26 opening through a side wall of the tender.

In operation the firstslide plate 9a is pulled forward from a covering 'positionoverthe discharge outlet 33 of the elbow to a position in front of the outlet beneath the forward'end-of the'floor M. The second'slideplate|9b 'isthen drawn forward over the dischargeoutlet to meet the first plate, thus leaving a shiftable opening '55 between the second .and'third slide plates 'at the coal gate .20 to. permitlthe coal to drop into the trough 23 rearward "of the crusher. "The front half of the second slide plate is hinged at 56 to the rear half, so by swingingthe' front half over the rear half. the discharge outlet '33 is uncovered as shown. When the fronthalf of. the second slide plate is.hinged..back as just described'it is in the same plane. as the floor l4 and forms part of the shoveling platform. ,..It will be observed. that the floor |4-.is cut away. at 51 to permit the swinging movement of thehalves of the plate |9b about-the hinge'56.

By operating any suitable control valve...(not

- shown), the driving motor 45 may. be operated continuously or at intervals toadvance and crush the .coal dropped through the. shiftable- .opening andto deliver it through the elbow onto that portion of the floor |4 serving as a shoveling platform where thecoalwill pile up in the alcove 2| .within convenient reach of .the fireman. .Asthe supply of coal'u'ecedes in the lbin,the slide-plates are successively pulled forward shifting the ppm- -ing rearwardly. In thismannerathefireman form associated with 'said bin, said shoveling platform being apertured to receive" fuel,' and means for advancing fuel from said bin and delivering it upwardly through said aperture onto ing platform.

2. In a locomotive tender,. in; combination, a fuel bin, a deck havingv an opening therein adjacent the front end of .thetender, andmeansfor advancing .fueLfrom the bin and delivering it upwardly through said opening onto said. deck, said The shaft 49 isitjourrialed' opening in said floor for controlling the supply of fuel from said bin to said fuel receiving means.

4?:In a locomotive tender, in combination, a fuel bin, an apertured floor therefor extending to the'front endrof the tender, means disposed beneathsaid apertured floor arranged to receive fuel from said bin and to deliver it upwardly ffthrough'said'apertured floor adjacent the front end ofthe tender, and a crusher cooperating with said means to crush the fuel.

: 51.:In a locomotive tender, in combination, a

fuel from said bin and to deliver it upwardly through said apertured floor adjacent the front end of 'the tender, and a crusher coacting therewith to crush the fuel.

6. In' a locomotive tender, in combination, a

fuelbin, a floor for said bin, a'coal gate at the forward-end of said bin disposed rearwardly of the front end of the tender, and a conveyor positioned beneath-said floor, said floor being apertured rearward of said coal gate and above said conveyor'to permit fuel to pass from the bin into I the conveyor, and being apertured-forward of the coal gate in communication with the delivery end 3 ofthe conveyor, said conveyor being arranged to advance the fuel upwardly through said last namedaperture onto said floor.

7. In a locomotive tender, in'combination, a

' fuel bin, a floor, a coal gate above said floor at thefront end'of said bin and rearward of the front end ofythe tender; saidifloor having an aperture therein extending forwardly and rearwardlyaof said gate, and a conveyor beneath said floor comprising an upwardly opening .trough in communication with that portion of the aperture in the floor rearward of the coal gate, an elbow at one end open to receive fuel from the trough andcat its other end'opening upwardly in the plane :ofithat portionofithe aperture in the floor forward of said coal gate, and a conveyor screw in said trough for advancing the fuel from said bin forwardlyiand upwardly through saideelbow onto said floor forward of the coal gate.

8. In axlocomotive tender, in combination, a fuel bin, a floor, a coal gate above said floor at the front'end'of said bin and rearward of the front end-of the tender, said floor having an aperture therein extending forwardly and rearwardly of said gate, and a conveyor beneath said fioor comprising an upwardly opening trough in communication with that portion of the aperture in the floor rearward of the coal gate, an elbow at one end open to receive fuel from the .trough' and at its other end opening upwardly said shoveling platform, s'aid.-means:being dis- 'posed entirelybeneaththe .level of .said shovelsaid bin forwardly and upwardly through said elbow onto said'fioor forward of the coal gate,

. and a crusher in said trough mounted over said screw, at the juncture .of the trough and the 9. In a locomotive tender, in combination, a fuel bin,a floor,a coal gate above said floor at the front and of said bin and rearward of the front end of the tender, said floor having an aperture therein extending forwardly and rearwardly of said gate, and a conveyor beneath said floor comprising an upwardly opening trough in communication with that portion of the aperture in the floor rearward of the coal gate, an elbow at one end open to receive fuel from the trough and at its other end opening upwardly in the plane of that portion of the aperture in the floor forward of said coal gate, a conveyor screw in said trough for advancing the fuel from said bin forwardly and upwardly through said elbow onto said floor forward of the coal gate, and a crusher in said trough mounted over said screw at the juncture of the trough and the elbow, said juncture being disposed forward of the lower end portion of the coal gate.

10. In a locomotive tender, in combination, a fuel bin, a floor, a coal gate above said floor at the front of said bin and rearward of the front end of said tender, said floor having an aperture extending longitudinally of the tender forwardly and rearwardly of said coal gate, a conveyor beneath said floor including a trough opening upwardly in communication with that portion of the aperture rearward of said coal gate to receive fuel from said bin, an elbow at the forward end of said trough receiving fuel therefrom and opening upwardly through that portion of the aperture forward of said gate, the junction of the trough and the elbow being positioned forward of the lower end of the coal gate, a conveyor screw in said trough at its forward end terminating adjacent said junction, a crusher at said junction disposed over the forward end portion of said screw, means for imparting rotary motion to said screw for advancing fuel against said crusher and moving it beyond said crusher forwardly and upwardly through said elbow onto said floor, and a plurality of plates slidably mounted in the aperture of the floor movable to form a shiftable opening in said floor rearward of the coal gate for controlling the supply of fuel from the bin into the trough, the foremost plate of said slide plates being positioned during operation of the conveyor forward of the discharge outlet of said elbow, and the second plate considered from the front of the tender being formed in two sections, the rearward section during operation of the conveyor being disposed above said crusher and the forward section being placed above the rearward section, the slide plates when in the aforesaid positions forming the shiftable opening immediately rearward of the coal gate and leaving the discharge outlet of the elbow uncovered.

11. In a locomotive tender, in combination, a fuel bin, a floor, a coal gate above said floor at the front of said bin and rearward of the front end of the tender, said floor being apertured longitudinally of the tender forwardly and rearwardly of the coal gate, and a plurality of plates movable in said aperture to form a shiftable opening rearward of said coal gate, said plates arranged with the foremost plate positioned in the aperture forward of the coal gate and with the second plate positioned underneath said coal gate, the second plate comprising two sections hinged at their adjacent ends whereby the one section of the plate may be swung in a position over the other and adjusted to form an opening between the first and second plates and another opening between the second and third plates.

FRANCIS HOGG. 

